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Liverpool have enjoyed a strong summer transfer window since the market officially opened for business last month as they have made two significant additions to their squad.

Who have Liverpool signed so far this summer?

The Reds completed the signings of Hungary international Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig and World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion to bolster their midfield options after they finished outside of the Premier League top four last term.

Jurgen Klopp could need to make a third addition in that area of the pitch as holding midfielder Fabinho has been touted with an exit from Anfield ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Athletic's James Pearce recently reported that the Brazil international is expected to move on from the club after a £40m offer from Al-Ittihad Club came in for his services. He will not be part of the team's pre-season camp as his future remains up in the air.

His departure would open up a space for Liverpool to swoop for a replacement and Pearce has claimed that Fiorentina enforcer Sofyan Amrabat is one of the players being considered to come in.

How good is Sofyan Amrabat?

The 26-year-old destroyer, who has been valued at around €30m (£26m) by the Italian club, is a player who has the quality to be an excellent defensive midfielder for Klopp with his ability on and off the ball.

As you can see in the graphic above, as provided by Opta, Amrabat, who has previously been described as "criminally underrated" by journalist Muhammad Butt, ranked highly among his positional peers last season when it came to taking touches and winning possession back for his side, which shows that he excels at both sides of the game.

Whereas, Fabinho, as shown in the above chart, did not rank as high in either category for Liverpool as the former AS Monaco powerhouse struggled to stand out as one of the best midfielders in Europe.

In possession, meanwhile, the 29-year-old star was slightly above average for the Reds with an average of 5.34 progressive passes per 90, which placed him in the 59th percentile of midfielders within the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days.

Amrabat, meanwhile, averaged 7.93 progressive passes per 90 for Fiorentina over the last 365 days. This ranked him in the top 8% of his positional peers over the last 365 days, which suggests that he has been one of the best midfielders at progressing play.

Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Darwin Nunez could benefit from this as it would result in them picking up possession in advanced positions more often throughout matches, instead of waiting longer for the team to create opportunities for them to cause damage.

The Morocco international's aforementioned ability to win the ball back for his team more frequently than Fabinho means that the potential is there for him to be an upgrade on the Brazilian battler at both ends of the pitch.

A £40m move to Al-Ittihad could also see FSG make a net profit by swapping them – if the reported £26m price tag for Amrabat is accurate.

Therefore, the Fiorentina titan could be a dream replacement for Klopp to sign for financial and footballing reasons, which is why this could be a fantastic piece of business for the Premier League side to do before the deadline.

CSA has set no timeline for Dale Steyn’s return to the national team after the fast bowler suffered another delay in his recovery from a shoulder injury

Firdose Moonda16-May-2017Cricket South Africa has set no timeline for Dale Steyn’s return to the national team after the fast bowler suffered another delay in his recovery from a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery in November.Steyn was to play two four-day matches for South Africa A in England as preparation for the Test series, but he revealed on Saturday that he was not going because he has not been able to bowl at all. He said he would target a county deal late in the English summer and try and be available for the home series against Bangladesh in September-October.CSA, though, decided not to create any further expectation on Steyn’s comeback.”Dale’s surgery was a resounding success and the bone has healed,” Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager who is also a doctor, said at the team’s departure for England on Tuesday. “The challenge is to get the shoulder stabilised and strengthened, and that’s why there is a bit of delay with getting him on the park again.”What the medical committee has decided is that we are not going to set an artificial deadline or timeline as to when he is going to be playing. We will wait for when he is ready. We are hopeful he will be ready some time during the home series.”South Africa’s 2017-18 home summer includes ten Tests – two against Bangladesh, four against India pending confirmation, and four against Australia – as well as their new franchise T20 tournament, which will provide plenty of opportunities for Steyn.Although he is available for all formats, Steyn is likely to be more inclined to play Tests as soon as possible, especially as he is five wickets away from overtaking Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker. Steyn played only eight Tests since the start of 2015 and broke down in three of them.

Good luck to the boys as they leave for the U.K. today.
I'll definitely be watching and backing you guys all the way.#ProteaFire

— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) May 16, 2017

The only other injury concern for South Africa at the moment is Faf du Plessis, whose shoulder will be assessed when the team arrives in the UK “There is a plan in place to have him ready for the first ODI but we are not sure of the warm-up games yet,” Moosajee said.Du Plessis is one of at least seven players who are likely to play all formats on the tour of England, along with Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Morne Morkel. The 12-week trip is longer than any they have taken, and Moosajee said the management would seek out “creative and flexible” ways to give them down time.”Twelve weeks is unprecedented – we haven’t been on a tour that long,” Moosajee said. “Guys might come home for a week in between if time and space permits.”Du Plessis, South Africa’s Test captain, is the most likely to leave the tour at some stage. His wife, Imari, is 32 weeks pregnant with their first child, and du Plessis indicated he would like to return home for the birth. “I would like to be there for the birth of my first child so hopefully the timing works well,” he said.South Africa’s ODI captain AB de Villiers and his wife Danielle are expecting their second child but his participation in the Champions Trophy should not be affected because the baby is due later. South Africa have made a decision not to allow families to be with the players during the Champions Trophy.”It’s a really good move not to have family members for this tournament,” de Villiers said. “It’s a short tournament, only five games in total if we get to the final, so we are going to be focused on that.”

Chelsea could make a serious attempt to sign Roma and Argentina attacker Paulo Dybala during the summer transfer window, a new report has claimed.

When does Paulo Dybala's contract expire?

The Argentine has enjoyed a glittering career overall, not necessarily always reaching the heights many have expected of him, but still tasting so much success along the way.

Dybala is a five-time Serie A champion, winning all of those trophies during his time as a Juventus player, and he also famously tasted 2022 World Cup glory with Argentina back in December, scoring a penalty in the shootout victory over France in the final.

The 29-year-old has been a key man for Roma since joining from Juve last year, scoring 12 goals and registering six assists in 22 league starts in 2022/23. Despite that, it could be that he is allowed to move on during the current transfer window, with his current deal running out in 2025, meaning now could be a good time to move him on and receive a healthy fee.

Chelsea are looking for more attacking reinforcements to come in this summer, as they look to forget all about a woeful season and become top-four challengers again, and it could be that they see Dybala as a potential addition before the new Premier League campaign gets underway.

Are Chelsea signing Paulo Dybala?

According to Sport Mediaset [via Sport Witness], the attacker actually wants to stay put at Roma, but the club aren't necessarily as keen to retain his services moving forward.

A meeting with his agent and the club is "expected in the coming days", with his rumoured €12m (£10.2m) release clause possibly allowing the Blues to snap him up on the cheap. Chelsea's interest in the player is described as "real", and they would be willing to offer him a "much more substantial salary" to the one he is earning at Roma currently.

Dybala could certainly be an eye-catching signing for Chelsea, considering what a world-renowned player he has been for a number of years now, being described by Roma boss Jose Mourinho as his "sensation" recently. He is clearly a class act who has seen it all in the game, but there would still be reservations about him moving to Stamford Bridge.

For starters, he does turn 30 later this year, and with Mauricio Pochettino hopefully looking to build a young team who can excel together for a number of years, he wouldn't represent a long-term signing who is going to go up a gear any time soon. There is also an argument to say that his very best days are already behind him, hence why Juve were willing to sell him to a Serie A rival last year.

On the flip side, Dybala still possesses undeniable quality with his left foot, making things happen in the final third and being able to operate as a No.10 or out wide, and he could help fill the void left by Mason Mount, providing creativity in the middle of the park and providing for what is hopefully a new No.9 that arrives this summer.

Arsenal are among a large contingent of sides to have shown an interest in Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Oscar Gloukh, according to reports.

Who are Arsenal signing this summer?

The north Londoners have been making serious moves this summer, having finally agreed a deal to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice for £105 million (£100 million + £5m million in add-ons).

An agreement on price was actually reached last week, but much of the talks since then have centered around payment structure. However, it is now believed a compromise has been settled there, with Arsenal agreeing to pay the initial £100 million over a 24-month period.

Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, who dazzled in the Eredivisie last season, could also be closing in on a move to north London with reports suggesting talks are at a very advanced stage for the Dutchman and he's keen on the transfer.

If all goes to plan, the aforementioned duo will follow Germany international Kai Havertz through the door, with Arsenal recently confirming his £65 million move from Chelsea.

"Kai is a player of top quality," said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.

"He has great versatility and is an intelligent player. He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play.

“We welcome Kai and his family to Arsenal Football Club and we are all excited to start working with him when we start pre-season training soon.”

The Gunners could end up spending over £250m this window, according to some reports, but they have no intention of stopping after sealing their top target in Rice.

A new report by The Guardian and journalist Ed Aarons details a new target for Arsenal, as they join the race to sign highly-rated attacker Gloukh.

The Israel Under-21 international performances for club and country have alerted some of Europe's top sides, including Barcelona, and there is a large domestic following from the British Isles.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are all targeting the 19-year-old, who is believed to prefer a move to either England or Spain.

Who is Oscar Gloukh?

Earning an array of caps for Israel at senior level also, Gloukh has been attracting more attention lately with some of his outings at this summer's U21 European Championship.

Former Israel international Gil Vermouth recently professed his admiration for the teenage star, calling him a "special" player with lots of potential.

"I would have told him not to leave Maccabi Tel Aviv," he said last year.

"If a club signs him and invests in him and takes him on as a project, then there is a chance of success. Gloukh is something special. He needs to examine his options, sit down with his parents and coaches, and decide."

Former Spurs defender Alan Hutton has also called Gloukh a "really talented" football player, with all the indications suggesting he could be one of Europe's most promising young teenage talents.

Chad Bowes’ fourth first-class hundred, sandwiched between five-wicket hauls from Andrew Ellis and Logan van Beek, gave Canterbury their fourth outright win out of eight games

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2017Impressive bowling returns from medium-pacers Andrew Ellis and Logan van Beek topped and tailed Canterbury’s 119-run victory against Otago with an innings and a day to spare, as Chad Bowes struck a 137 to help Canterbury retain their position at the top of the Plunket Shield points table.In what was Canterbury’s fourth win in eight matches, Ellis’ 6 for 35 skittled Otago for 140 in 71 overs in the first innings, after opener Brad Wilson, the captain, top-scored with 70, while only three other batsmen managed to get into double figures.Canterbury’s reply was headlined by Bowes’ 147-ball 137, that saw him share an opening partnership of 95 runs with Jack Boyle (25), before he forged two more partnerships in excess of 65 runs with Peter Fulton (30) and Ken McClure (73) for the second and third wicket, respectively.Substantial contributions from the lower order – including Todd Astle (41) and Cam Fletcher (34) – took Canterbury to 395 for six in 110 overs on the third day, helping their side earn four bonus points for batting and eventually declare at 432 for 9.With a 292-run deficit to contend with, the only resistance offered by Otago in the second innings was a 72-run stand for the fourth wicket between Michael Rippon (41) and wicketkeeper Derek de Boorder, who top-scored with a 123-ball 50. Van Beek starred in the final innings with returns of 5 for 43, his third first-class five-wicket haul and second in consecutive seasons at Hagley Oval, to roll Otago for 173 in 60.1 overs.The victory gave Canterbury 20 points, the maximum available in a match – 12 for an outright win, 4 bonus points each for batting and bowling. They remain the team with the highest outright wins heading into the final two rounds.

The 21-year-old South Africa fast bowler has emphasised he is the main person when it comes to judging his fitness and he will be honest about doing so

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton28-Feb-20171:43

The longer that I’ve played the more I’ve learnt to manage myself – Rabada

Kagiso Rabada has said he will always be honest about his fitness amid concerns over the workload the fast bowler is facing in the coming months.So far on the South Africa tour, he has played two matches and missed two, skipping the T20 and second ODI in Christchurch, but is expected to line up in Hamilton as South Africa aim to wrap up the series. Doing so would allow them to rest Rabada for the final match in Auckland ahead of the three-Test series, which begins on March 8 in Dunedin. That is followed by the IPL, the Champions Trophy and a full tour of England.A left knee niggle led to him sitting out the Christchurch match and he has bowled with it strapped during the tour. On his return in Wellington, he set the tone for South Africa with an immaculate new-ball spell and he insisted he is able to judge how his body is feeling.”I feel like I’m the main person when it comes to judging how I feel, and truthfully as well,” he said. “Sometimes you play with niggles, sometimes you feel fresh, sometimes niggles come and then they go away, sometimes they stay for a bit longer.”The longer that I’ve played the more I’ve learnt to manage myself, with the help of the medical team who give me advice, and I take it accordingly.”He added that he understood the reasoning behind rotating quick bowlers. “Sometimes you have to put your ego aside,” he said.After the match in Wellington, South Africa coach Russell Domingo admitted it was an ongoing challenge juggling the workload of all bowlers, not just Rabada.”A lot of our bowlers need to be managed because of the number of games that get played,” he said. “It’s a fine line between resting players and trying to win series. Particularly for a young player like KG. He’s only 21, Andile is only 20 so those are two young bowlers who need a lot of management.”But it’s hard to leave KG out of the next match, he’s a seriously good bowler and it’s no coincidence that when he’s back in the mix we look a different side. I’ll need to speak to the sport scientists, but we need to manage him carefully.”In words that will be pleasing for Domingo to hear Paddy Upton, the former performance director for South Africa who is now coach at Rabada’s IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils, has said he has no intention of running the paceman into the ground.”We try and help them not only to have a good IPL but to enhance and further their career,” he told South Africa’s . “The IPL is part of the 11-month season. We understand that.”There are teams who try and get every cent and every moment of every day out of the players. If players aren’t managed well and cognisance isn’t taken of the whole year you end up with a burnt out player at the end of an IPL. So it doesn’t serve anyone.”

In the current transfer market, players cost more than they have ever been valued at before, with even the so-called smaller clubs paying large fees for quality.

With that has come some outrageous transfer fees, some of which have worked out, whilst others have been placed into the flop category. We're talking Virgil van Dijk vs Harry Maguire here. Erling Haaland vs Darwin Nunez. Some prices are just never justified.

The price of quality, and the assurance of certain achievements with that quality costs a hefty price these days, however, with some clubs able to keep up a lot more than others.

With that said, Football FanCast has revealed the most valuable players by position in 2023.

4 GK: Diogo Costa (£38.83m)

Not to be mixed up with the former Chelsea forward Diego Costa – although, we're sure he could do a job in between the sticks – Diogo Costa had an excellent season for Porto in the last campaign, and rightly sits top of the most valuable goalkeepers.

According to Transfermarkt, the 23-year-old is currently worth a whopping €45m (£38.83m), sitting ahead of the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Mike Maignan, Thibaut Courtois, and Aaron Ramsdale.

3 Defender: Ruben Dias (£69m)

It's no real surprise that treble-winning Ruben Dias sits top of this list, having enjoyed a historic season at Manchester City. The only real shock is that the central defender isn't currently valued higher – especially when you consider former Man Utd star Rio Ferdinand recently claimed he'd be worth £170m in the current market.

As of right now, as per Transfermarkt, Dias is worth €80m (£69m). Though, it must be said that a transfer away from City is unlikely to happen, meaning that we'll never truly know how much he will cost a potential suitor in the current market.

He sits above Josko Gvardiol, Matthijs de Ligt, Ronald Araujo and Alphonso Davies.

2 Midfielder: Jude Bellingham (£103.53m)

Having just completed a move to Real Madrid for €103m (£88m), it's no real surprise that Jude Bellingham is the world's most expensive midfielder.

According to Transfermarkt, the former Borussia Dortmund man is worth €120m (£103.53m), with his valuation instantly increasing upon making the move to the Spanish giants this summer.

Bellingham is undoubtedly one of the best players in world football. The rest of the top five is Jamal Musiala, Pedri, Federico Valverde, and Gavi.

1 ST: Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe (£155.3m)

Goals galore – 52, to be exact – and records left in his wake, the treble-winning Erling Haaland is one of, if not the best player in the world of football right now.

He was a revelation for Manchester City last season, and his current valuation reflects that. But, in a similar fashion to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo over past seasons, he is forced to share the crown with Kylian Mbappe.

According to Transfermarkt, Haaland and Mbappe are currently worth €180m (£155.3m). It could just be the start of their battle to see who comes out on top as this generation's standout player. The next Ballon d'Or rankings will certainly be interesting.

Following those two, the next three are Vinicius Junior, Bukayo Saka, and Victor Osimhen.

The majority of Quetta Gladiator’s overseas contingent have opted not to travel to Lahore for the PSL final

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2017The majority of Quetta Gladiators’ overseas contingent have opted not to travel to Lahore for the PSL final.Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright and Tymal Mills all tweeted about leaving the tournament, while former New Zealand offspinner Nathan McCullum will also not travel. Rilee Rossouw, the South African batsman, had been considering playing in the final on March 5, *but he too wrote on Twitter that he was leaving the tournament. “Its with a sad heart that I must announce that i will not be taking part in the final.”Wright, the England allrounder, tweeted: “It’s with a heavy heart I will not be coming to Lahore. I have a young family and for me a game of cricket is just not worth the risk. I’m sorry as I know how much it means to you all and hopefully in the future the safety will not be in doubt to come play there.”Pietersen signed off from the tournament with 40 from 22 balls, as Quetta stole a one-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi, taking his tally to 241 runs. Rossouw is currently their top scorer with 255 runs at 42.50 and a strike-rate 123.18.Mills took seven wickets from five matches, while Wright played just one match and McCullum did not feature.One-off payments, ranging from USD 10,000 to 50,000, are being offered to foreign players should they agree to play in Lahore. That, as one foreign player considering taking part in the final pointed out, brings its own complications. “What is the difference in me playing in Lahore under a security threat and a Pakistani player doing so?” he said. “In any attack both are at risk. And physios and masseuses? A life is a life, mine or a Pakistani player’s.”Teams who end up severely shorthanded can rope in a pool of nominated foreign players. The list, initially of 54 names, has now grown to above 60, and is said to be composed of those who were not picked in the draft last October, as well as additional names from outside the draft, who are willing to travel to Pakistan.Each franchise will nominate five to six players from the long list and hand it to the PSL, who hope that ultimately, accounting for common names that appear in multiple lists, they have a shortlist of 12 to 15 waiting on standby to participate in the final.

Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun is "set to end his 13-year association with the Gunners this summer", according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Who is leaving Arsenal?

Manager Mikel Arteta, from reliable media sources, is said to be closing in on a deal to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice this summer as Arsenal finally agree a fee after multiple rejected bids.

Alongside the 24-year-old, Emirates transfer chief Edu also reached an agreement over the signing of Kai Havertz, who has joined Arsenal in a £65 million deal from Chelsea.

Talks apparently continue over more targets as well, with Southampton's Romeo Lavia and Ajax defender Jurrien Timber remaining firmly on their radar.

It's certainly one of the busiest summers in recent memory at Arsenal, but to make room for these potential arrivals, certain squad members will inevitably have to make way.

The standout names who could make way come in the form of defender Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Nuno Tavares, Sambi Lokonga, Balogun and faithful servant Granit Xhaka (Goal).

Jorginho, after reports of a potential exit, has confirmed plans to remain in north London but his midfield partner, Thomas Partey, is being "pushed" towards the door.

Going back to Balogun, there has been an update on his prospective sale, as journalist O'Rourke details in a piece for Football Insider.

The reporter writes that he is "set to end his 13-year association with the Gunners this summer", and Crystal Palace has emerged as a credible landing spot.

The Eagles have apparently set their sights on Arsenal's exciting young striker, who seriously impressed on loan at Reims in Ligue 1 last campaign.

Arteta's side are likely to hold out for a £35 million fee as the Eagles become interested in striking a deal, but they aren't the only side, with European giants AC Milan monitoring the situation.

Balogun has already ruled out another loan move publicly, so any possible transfer will be a permanent one.

What's been said about Folarin Balogun?

The 21-year-old bagged an impressive 21 goals and two assists in 37 French top flight appearances over 22/23, with Kevin Betsy calling him "phenomenal" for his pace and acceleration.

Meanwhile, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is another to have heaped praise on Balogun, with the World Cup winner drawing attention to his "refreshing" mindset.

“He’s a very English-style player who likes to run down the channels but he was missing something, which was his finishing," said Henry to Amazon Prime (via The Evening Standard).

“He’s now starting to score goals regularly and I’m happy for that – happy he has gone abroad.

“When I heard he was coming to France, it made me think he has a refreshing mindset.”

Ed Cowan’s unbeaten 134 off 267 balls enabled New South Wales to end the second day of their Sheffield Shield match against Victoria with a 42-run advantage

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2017
ScorecardEd Cowan made his first first-class century in 23 innings•Getty ImagesEd Cowan’s 23rd first-class century gave New South Wales a healthy lead at stumps on the second day against Victoria at the MCG, where the Blues finished at 4 for 300. Replying to Victoria’s first-day score of 258, New South Wales had a 42-run advantage at stumps and plenty of opportunity to extend that lead further yet, with Cowan at the crease on 134 and Peter Nevill on 18.Victoria’s new-ball bowlers, Jake Reed and Scott Boland, dismissed the New South Wales openers Daniel Hughes and Nick Larkin within the first 10 overs of the innings. But Cowan, batting at No. 3, settled in for a series of partnerships that frustrated the Victorians, first a 141-run combination with Kurtis Patterson, who made 61.Moises Henriques then put on a 92-run stand with Cowan which ended when Henriques was lbw to Reed for 51, and by the close of play the Cowan-Nevill partnership had reached 50. It was Cowan’s first hundred at first-class level since October 2015, ending a drought of 23 innings without reaching triple-figures.